“Being paralyzed is choice too, yes,” I said quietly. “And right now, it is the choice you are making.”
She was silent for a long moment, her breathing the only sound between us. Then she lifted her head to look at me in the darkness.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “I’ll talk to Tia. Before they leave for Greece. I’ll tell her about us.”
I held her face in both hands. “You are certain, yes?”
“Nervous,” she admitted. “But sure.”
I kissed her then, pouring weeks of frustration and longing into it. She answered with her own pent-up need, cupping the back of my head.
When we finally broke apart, she settled against my chest.
“You will stay with me tonight, yes?” I whispered.
“I wasn’t planning on being anywhere else,” she promised.
25
Tia and I were sitting on the porch the next morning, watching Aris and Chrysanthos work on my 1969 Camaro in the driveway. That car was my first big purchase, and even though I’d bought newer ones since, I couldn’t let it go.
Aris had discovered it in the garage and had been tinkering with it ever since. Today was warm enough that they rolled it out while the cleaning service worked inside.
“Are you sure you don’t want a baby shower, Mom?” Tia asked.
“I’m sure, baby. But I was thinking, since you don’t live here full-time, I could convert the downstairs guest room into yours and Santo’s. That way your upstairs bedroom can become the nursery since it’s bigger.”
Tia went very still. “You want to give away my bedroom.”
“I need more space for the nursery, and you live in Greece—”
“Sure, why not? Why not erase me completely?” Tia’s voice rose. “Matter of fact, why bother to give me a bedroom at all? Just throw all my things away.”
“What are you talking about?”
She waved her hand toward my belly. “Do whatever you want.” She huffed, eyes glistening. “You have your new family, so you don’t need me!”
The words knocked the breath out of my lungs. Because I knew that feeling. I hadbeenthat child, watching my father with the family he’d chosen instead of me.
“Tia, that’s not…”
Before I could finish, Aris and Santo came up the porch steps.
Santo immediately went to his wife, crouching beside her chair. Aris remained a step behind, his gaze moving between us, assessing.
“What’s wrong?” Santo’s voice was soft.
“Nothing.” Tia shook her head, but Santo reached up to brush a tear from her cheek.
“That doesn’t look like nothing,” he said quietly, his thumb lingering on her face. “Talk to me.”
“Can we just go driving now?” Tia asked.
Santo exchanged a look with his father. “I’ll need a shower first,” he said, standing.
As he moved past me, he stopped suddenly, staring. One of the twins had chosen that moment to turn over, creating a visible ripple across my belly.
“Does that... does that happen all the time?” His attention shifted completely.
